Trans row faces pool championship: Player beats trans woman opponent in final after scandal over who should be allowed to play in gender categories

A biologically female pool player has beaten her trans opponent during a controversial national competition that was embroiled in a gender conflict scandal.

Wales’ Kirsty-Lee Davies, a biological woman, triumphed over Harriet Haynes, a transgender woman, in the latest Ultimate Pool Group tournament.

But the contest was marred by controversy after organizers allowed two transgender women to compete against 64 other biological women.

Trans contestants Ms Haynes and Lucy Smith reached the semi-finals facing each other, with Haynes winning.

And Haynes almost won the final too, had it not been for the “phenomenal comeback” from Davies, who fought back from a 5 frames to 2 deficit to win 6-5.

But the clash sparked fierce criticism from female pool players, who branded the situation farcical and slammed competition bosses for allowing it.

Wales’ Kirsty-Lee Davies, a biological woman, triumphed over Harriet Haynes, a transgender woman, in the latest Ultimate Pool Group tournament.

Trans contestants Ms Haynes (left) and Lucy Smith (right) made it to the semi-finals before facing off, with Haynes winning.

Lynne Pinches, a professional pool player who refused to compete against Haynes at the Women’s Champions of Champions tournament last year, said: “What an absolute disgrace our sport has become.”

While round-the-world sailing hero Tracy Edwards also expressed her outrage at allowing two trans women to compete in the tournament.

“Shame on @ultimatepool_ You are spineless idiots for letting this happen,” she wrote to X, before adding: “#SaveWomensSports.”

The Women’s Rights Network (WRN) congratulated Davies on her win, writing: “Despite the best efforts of the pool authorities to erase her chances by allowing two men to compete in the women’s category.”

However, in a scathing criticism, the WRN hit back and said both Haynes and Smith would still pick up awards for reaching the semi-final which “rightfully belongs to a woman”.

Under the rules of both the English Pool Association (EPA) and the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF), the governing bodies of the Ultimate Pool Group, trans players can compete without any restrictions.

It means that competitors born biologically male, but later transitioning to female, can play in the women’s competition.

According to its website, EPA’s current transgender statutes are under review as of December 2023.

However, activists have claimed that allowing transgender women to compete against biological women in sport is unfair.

Sunday’s tournament dispute is the latest controversy to hit the sport.

After Pinches opted not to play Haynes in 2023, two other players also protested and refused to play the trans player in a competition a week later.

Lynne Pinches finished as runner-up in a pool tournament after withdrawing from the final before the first frame

Harriet Haynes was awarded the first prize after Pinches was withdrawn from the show during the event in 2023 (pictured)

Speaking after his decision to quit, Pinches told the Telegraph: “Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in the game in my life.

“I’ve played 30 years and I’ve never conceded so much as a frame, never mind a match. This was only my fourth final, but the trophy or the money meant nothing to me without being fair, and that’s what I told the tournament director afterwards.”

‘I don’t care about the money, the title or the trophy. I care about justice. If they hadn’t made that turn, we wouldn’t be here now. We were all very happy when they initially said that they would have a strict category for biological women.

Pinches was quick to add that her withdrawal was not done with the intention of hurting the transgender community, or shaming anyone, but that she felt women were being humiliated by having to face trans athletes.

EPA guidelines dictate that trans athletes should be allowed to play in casual games and pool competitions, without having to face more gender verification than any other player.

Part of Pinches’ frustration stems from the fact that pool players were assured that non-binary and transgender players would not play against women, only for the World Eightball Pool Federation and the Ultimate Pool Group to turn on the move.

Swimming is the latest sport to be affected by the controversy over trans women competing against biologically born women, following similar examples in swimming, athletics and cycling.

Sharron Davies, who has campaigned for women’s sport since retiring from swimming, said the pool was another example of a sport failing to put safety and fairness first, and added: “it is simply sexual discrimination”.

Sharron Davies has argued that the pool is not putting “safety and fairness first” for women

“It’s simply sex discrimination after decades of mistreatment in women’s sport. It’s having a huge effect on the mental health of female athletes who are being told by their sports federations that their right to fair sport doesn’t matter.” , he told Telegraph sport in 2023.

“I’m keen to ask governments to do more than just ask NGBs to do the right thing and then be ignored. It’s time for women sports people to get their act together and also for the government to withdraw funding from UK sport from ‘those sports that don’t care about their female athletes.’

Davies has previously expressed her view that transgender athletes make swimming “horribly unfair” and that “young girls have to start races at a known disadvantage”.